Popcorn popping machines for different types of popcorn kernels and different popped popcorn types

ABSTRACT

A method and popping machine for popping different types of popcorn kernels is provided, where the different types of popcorn kernels include at least mushroom type popcorn and butterfly type popcorn. The method includes determining a selected one of the different types of popcorn kernels to be popped in a first popping cycle based upon a selection made by an operator, and then retrieving and using a first set of predetermined cooking temperature set points associated with cooking the selected one of the different types of popcorn kernels during performance of the first popping cycle. The cooking temperature set points determine several items which may include when to heat a kettle of the popping machine, when to signal an operator to take action such as loading kernels or dumping popped popcorn, and when to add sugar if a sweetened popped popcorn type is desired.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/206,852, filed Jul. 11, 2016, the disclosure of which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to popcorn popping machines and methods ofpopping popcorn, including popping in consecutive batches whileproducing a consistently high quality of popped popcorn, regardless ofthe type of popcorn cooked by the popcorn popping machines and methods.

BACKGROUND

Popcorn is mass-produced for sale at movies and other events incommercial popcorn poppers which typically include an enclosed,transparent cabinet containing a tilt-able kettle suspended above acatch area or platform. The kettle is heated and uncooked popcornkernels are placed therein to be cooked and popped. Once the kernels arepopped, the kettle is manually or automatically tilted and the poppedpopcorn spills onto the platform to be scooped up, packaged, and sold tocustomers.

This process can be highly labor-intensive for an operator of thepopping machine, especially when consecutive batches of popcorn need tobe cooked by the popping machine. For example, in conventional systemsthe operator must remain at the machine to monitor cooking progress andtake actions such as loading of kernels or dumping of popped popcornduring a popping cycle, in order to assure that the popcorn in eachbatch is cooked consistently so as to provide high quality optimal tastefrom batch to batch. Conventional systems often rely on the experienceof the operator to time actions correctly, which can lead toundercooking or burning of popcorn when the popping cycle is not carriedout correctly. These problems with conventional systems and methodsbecome even more exacerbated when producing a more complicated poppedpopcorn like sweetened popcorn.

The type of popcorn which most often tends to be mass-produced and soldis made from a type of popcorn kernel known as traditional “butterfly”type popcorn. When popped, such butterfly type popcorn takes the form ofa highly irregular shape, with extending tendrils, which may be easilybroken off when agitated or tumbled. In the popcorn industry, it isknown to provide a variety of methods and apparatus for optimizing thepopping of traditional butterfly type popcorn. For example, popping oftraditional butterfly type popcorn is believed to be optimized in a timeperiod of about 3 minutes (or longer, such as in versions requiring asweetened coating) and at kettle temperatures approaching about 400° F.Of course, specific parameters and time or temperature set points canvary based on the desires of a particular operator or end product(popped popcorn).

In view of the largely prolific nature of butterfly type popcorn in thepopcorn industry, numerous apparatus and methods for popping butterflytype popcorn have been developed as set forth above. To this end,several types of butterfly type popcorn popping machines and methodsdeveloped by the assignee of the present application are disclosed, forexample, in numerous issued U.S. patents including U.S. Pat. No.6,352,731 to Weiss; U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,103 to Weiss; U.S. Pat. No.6,726,945 to Weiss; U.S. Pat. No. 6,829,982 to Weiss et al.; U.S. Pat.No. 8,216,622 to Evans, Sr. et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,582 toWeiss, all of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference intheir entireties. The U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,103 specifically discloses anapparatus for popping butterfly type popcorn in a typical process for“salt” popcorn and in a different temperature-controlled process wherethe popcorn is to be “sweet” by being coated with a “sweet” coating suchas sugar. In this regard, it is known from this reference that differentcooking times and temperature parameters may be desirable and selectedby an operator depending on the type of coating applied to the poppedpopcorn. However, these machines and methods still rely heavily on theoperator for appropriate management of actions such as when to load thekernels, oil, and seasoning into the kettle and when to dump the poppedpopcorn when a popping cycle is completed.

More recently, a different type of popcorn kernel known as “mushroom”type popcorn has become popular for use and sale in the popcornindustry. The mushroom type popcorn differs in appearance, content andperformance when compared to butterfly type popcorn.

More particularly respecting appearance, the popped mushroom typepopcorn has a relatively smoother surface and therefore forms fewercrevices than butterfly popcorn. This allows the mushroom type popcornto be tumbled for effective coating purposes without riskingtendril-like portions (often formed on butterfly type popcorn) frombreaking off during the tumbling process. Also, mushroom type popcorn,when prepared as a popped popcorn, is believed to have more gelatincontent, which is not so melted as the gelatin in butterfly type popcornaccording to the understanding of the inventor of this application,making popped mushroom type popcorn generally chewier than the lessgelatinous popped butterfly type popcorn. The melting and/or explosionof the gelatin in butterfly type popcorn may be one factor thatcontributes to forming the irregular shape of the butterfly typepopcorn, producing its less gelatinous and less chewy nature in thepopped corn state than for mushroom type popcorn. In this regard,mushroom type popcorn should be cooked using a different set of cookingtemperature and time parameters based on these differentiating factorsto result in optimal and desirable popped popcorn.

In other words, it has been discovered that subjecting mushroom typepopcorn to cooking temperatures and times associated with poppingbutterfly type popcorn tends to ruin mushroom type popcorn by meltingmore gelatin and causing the kernels to explosively expand, producingtendrils, irregular shapes and a more brittle product than desired withmushroom type popcorn. Such irregular shapes can also be less desirablefor coating popped popcorn, both because of the risk of breaking offtendrils when popcorn is shaped irregularly and because there may beless surface area to pick up and retain the coating. Non-optimal cookingtimes and temperatures applied to mushroom popcorn may also cause lessexpansion of the popcorn when popped, which is not as desirable forcoating. Likewise, subjecting butterfly type popcorn kernels to cookingtemperatures and times appropriate for mushroom type popcorn will resultin not optimal cooking and popping of the butterfly type popcorn.Particularly in environments where multiple types of popcorn may bedesired in different cooking batches (e.g., a retail popcorn setting),with optional alternating sweet and salt coatings as well, there is nocurrently known popping machine or method for handling these variations.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a popping machine andmethod for cooking different types of popcorn kernels, includingmushroom type popcorn and butterfly type popcorn, to the optimalspecifications desired for each. Moreover, it would also be desirable toprovide operators with accurate prompts to help run the machine indifferent operating modes, including those requiring addition of sugaror a sweetened coating at a specific time when those components will notburn in the kettle.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method is provided forpopping different types of popcorn kernels in a kettle of a poppingmachine, which includes a controller communicating with a user interfaceand a heat sensor responsive to a temperature of the kettle. The methodincludes determining a selected one of the different types of popcornkernels to be popped in a first batch of kernels during a first poppingcycle to produce a first popped popcorn type, based upon a selectionmade by an operator at the user interface. A first set of predeterminedcooking temperature set points is then retrieved which is associatedwith cooking the selected one of the different types of popcorn kernelsin the first batch of kernels. The first set of predeterminedtemperature set points includes at least a load point temperature and adump point temperature, with the first set of predetermined temperatureset points being one of a plurality of stored sets of predeterminedtemperature set points stored for and associated with different types ofpopcorn kernels. The method further includes heating the kettle to theload point temperature, and alerting the operator to load the firstbatch of kernels into the kettle to begin the first popping cycle whenthe kettle reaches the load point temperature, as measured by the heatsensor. Following the loading of kernels (and cooking oil), the kettleis heated to the dump point temperature to cook the first batch ofkernels to generate popped popcorn of the first popped popcorn type, andthen a prompt is provided for the popped popcorn to be dumped from thekettle when the kettle reaches the dump point temperature, as measuredby the heat sensor. The different types of popcorn kernels may includeat least a mushroom type popcorn and a butterfly type popcorn, therebyenabling multiple types of popcorn kernels to be cooked in a desirablemanner.

In some embodiments, the alerting of the operator at the load pointtemperature and the prompting at the dump point temperature areperformed by providing at least one of an audible alarm and anillumination of an indicator light (such as an LED or an indicatorscreen) to identify the loading or dumping action required by theoperator. It will be understood that in embodiments of the method usingautomated kettle dump, the prompting at the dump point temperature maynot include operator alarms because the popped popcorn will be dumpedautomatically.

In addition to determining what type of popcorn kernel is to be popped,it is also determined, based upon a selection made by the operator atthe user interface, whether a sweet mode is active for the first poppingcycle. If a sweet mode is active such that the first popped popcorn typeis to include a sweetened coating, the first set of predetermined setpoints which is retrieved also includes a sweet point temperaturedefining when the sugar is to be added during the first popping cyclewhen the sweet mode is active. When the sweet mode is active, the methodalso includes detecting when the kettle falls below the sweet pointtemperature as a result of cooling of the kettle caused by loading thefirst batch of kernels into the kettle, and alerting the operator toload the sugar into the kettle when the kettle falls below the sweetpoint temperature, so as to avoid burning the sugar in the kettle duringthe first popping cycle.

In other embodiments, the first set of predetermined temperature setpoints retrieved for the first popping cycle further includes a coldpoint temperature defining a threshold for determining whether thekettle was cold at an initial power up of the popping machine, a coastpoint temperature defining a threshold for turning off heat energy tothe kettle as the kettle approaches the load point temperature afterstarting from a cold kettle, a set point temperature defining atemperature that is to be maintained at the kettle such as betweenpopping cycles, and a sweet point temperature defining when to add sugarto the kettle when a sweet mode is active. It will be understood thatsome or all of the predetermined temperature set points may instead bedefined by times (associated with specific temperatures according to acooking cycle temperature over time plot) for taking each of thenecessary actions such as loading and dumping from the kettle, in otherembodiments consistent with the scope of this disclosure. An offsetcalibration mode or a regular run mode may be selected by an operator atthe user interface during the initial power up of the popping machine.When the offset calibration mode is selected, the method includesdetecting a current operating mode of the popping machine based on theselected one of the different types of popcorn kernels, and adjustingeach of a dump offset and a sweet offset based on input from theoperator at the user interface. The dump offset is added to the dumppoint temperature for the current operating mode, while the sweet offsetis added to the sweet point temperature for the current operating mode.These offsets enable operator adjustments to the dump point temperatureand the sweet point temperature of the currently selected operating modebased on operator preferences.

During the normal operation or “run mode” of the popping machine, thecontroller of the popping machine performs a kettle heat routine todetermine whether to supply heat energy to the kettle at about every 1second following the initial power up. The kettle heat routine furtherincludes determining whether the kettle is cold at the initial power upof the popping machine (determined by the cold point temperature), andif the kettle was cold, the kettle is heated to the coast pointtemperature. The heat energy is turned off at the coast pointtemperature to allow a continued rise of kettle temperature to about theload point temperature, so as to minimize overshoot beyond the loadpoint temperature. Alternatively, if the kettle was not determined to becold at initial power up, the heat energy is applied to the kettle whenthe kettle is below the set point temperature, and the heat energy isnot applied to the kettle when the kettle is above the set pointtemperature.

Also during the normal operation or “run mode” of the popping machine,the controller of the popping machine performs an alarm routine todetermine whether any alarms for the operator should be activated ordeactivated at about every 1 second following an initial power up. Thealarm routine begins by determining whether the popping machine is in aload alarm mode or a dump alarm mode. When in the load alarm mode, thecontroller activates a load alarm to alert the operator to load thefirst batch of kernels into the kettle if the kettle is above the loadpoint temperature, and then deactivates the load alarm when the kettlefalls 15° F. below the load point temperature. When in the dump alarmmode, the controller activates a dump alarm to alert the operator todump popped popcorn from the kettle if the kettle is above the dumppoint temperature, and then deactivates the dump alarm after 10 secondshave passed following activation of the dump alarm. Each of the dumpalarm and the load alarm includes at least one of an audible alarm andillumination of an indicator light on the user interface.

The load alarm mode includes additional functionality and features asfollows. The controller, in the load alarm mode, starts a dump blocktimer when the load alarm is deactivated. The dump block timer defines aperiod of time in which the alarm routine remains in the load alarm modebefore returning to the dump alarm mode, thereby allowing for a periodof time to cook the first batch of kernels in the kettle. When the dumpblock timer is running and a sweet mode is active, the controllerdetermines when the kettle falls below the sweet point temperature. Whenthat occurs at the kettle, the controller activates a sweet alarm toalert the operator to add sugar to the kettle when the kettle fallsbelow the sweet point temperature, and then deactivates the sweet alarm10 seconds after the sweet alarm was activated. Thus, an automatedindication can be provided for helping an operator manage a sweet modefor popping popcorn, regardless of the different types of popcornkernels being cooked in the popping machine.

The various popping steps described above can then be repeated for asecond batch of kernels in a second popping cycle to produce a secondpopped popcorn type with a different type of popcorn kernel or adifferent type of desired popped popcorn.

In accordance with a similar aspect of the invention, a popping machineis configured to pop different types of popcorn kernels in differentpopping cycles. The machine includes a kettle associated with heatingelements and configured to receive popcorn kernels for a popping cycle,a heat sensor responsive to a temperature of the kettle, and a storagedevice which stores a plurality of stored sets of predetermined cookingtemperature set points, which are associated with different types ofpopcorn kernels to produce different types of popped popcorn types. Themachine also includes a user interface which receives from an operator aselection of a current operating mode for the popping cycle, and acontroller operatively connected to each of these other elements of themachine. The controller is programmed to operate the popping machine byretrieving from the storage device a first set of predeterminedtemperature set points associated with the current operating modeselected for the popping cycle, the first set having a load pointtemperature and a dump point temperature. The controller actuatesheating of the kettle with the heating elements based on signals fromthe heat sensor indicating when the kettle reaches the load pointtemperature and the dump point temperature, to thereby cook kernels intopopped popcorn. The controller also prompts for loading of the kernelsinto the kettle at the beginning of the popping cycle and for dumping ofthe popped popcorn from the kettle at the end of the popping cycle. Thepopping machine is therefore able to optimally pop different types ofpopcorn kernels including mushroom type popcorn and butterfly typepopcorn.

In one embodiment, the popping machine further includes at least oneswitch at the user interface which is configured to receive selectionsfrom the operator, at least one indicator light configured to beilluminated to identify the current operating mode and/or to alert theoperator when loading or dumping action is required, and at least oneaudible alarm which is configured to be actuated to alert the operatorwhen loading or dumping action is required. For example, the userinterface in such embodiments may include at least one switch and/or atleast one indicator light for each of the following: a mode selector foridentifying the current operating mode, an automated oil heating anddispensing system, the heating elements associated with the kettle, astir drive associated with the kettle, a heat element at a serviceplatform for receiving the popped popcorn dumped from the kettle. Itwill be appreciated that the kettle may be configured for manual loadingof cooking oil with the kernels, or may also include an automated dumpmotor which removes popped popcorn from the kettle at the end of apopping cycle, without departing from the scope of the inventiondisclosed herein.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a method isprovided for popping sweet popcorn in a kettle of a popping machine,which includes a controller communicating with a heat sensor responsiveto a temperature of the kettle. The method includes retrieving a set ofpredetermined temperature set points associated with cooking the sweetpopcorn, the set including at least a load point temperature, a sweetpoint temperature, and a dump point temperature. The kettle is thenheated to the load point temperature, and an operator is alerted to loada batch of popcorn kernels into the kettle to begin a popping cycle whenthe kettle reaches the load point temperature, as measured by the heatsensor. The method further includes detecting when the kettle fallsbelow the sweet point temperature after the batch of popcorn kernels areloaded into the kettle at the load point temperature, and alerting theoperator to load sugar into the kettle when the kettle falls below thesweet point temperature, as measured by the heat sensor. The method thenincludes heating the kettle to the dump point temperature to cook thebatch of popcorn kernels and the sugar to generate popped sweet popcorn,and prompting for the popped sweet popcorn to be dumped from the kettlewhen the kettle reaches the dump point temperature as measured by theheat sensor. Thus, the method advantageously operates a sweet popcornpopping cycle so as to avoid burning sugar in the kettle while formingan optimal popped sweet popcorn.

Many of the same features described above with the method for poppingdifferent types of popcorn kernels are equally applicable in this methodof popping sweet popcorn. For example, the alarm routine may be providedto activate and deactivate a sweet alarm based on when the kettle fallsbelow the load point temperature by a predetermined threshold (e.g., 15°F.) and also falls below a sweet point temperature set such that burningof sugar during the popping cycle is avoided. Likewise, the offsetcalibration mode for setting a sweet offset and/or a dump offset basedon operator preferences may also be included in the method.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a poppingmachine is configured to pop sweet popcorn in a popping cycle. Themachine includes a kettle associated with heating elements andconfigured to receive popcorn kernels and sugar for the popping cycle, aheat sensor responsive to a temperature of the kettle, and a storagedevice which stores a set of predetermined temperature set points, whichare associated with cooking the sweet popcorn. The machine also includesa user interface, which provides signals to an operator when actions arerequired at the popping machine, and a controller operatively connectedto each of these other elements of the machine. The controller isprogrammed to operate the popping machine by retrieving from the storagedevice the set of predetermined temperature set points associated withcooking the sweet popcorn, the set having a load point temperature, asweet point temperature, and a dump point temperature. The controlleractuates heating of the kettle with the heating elements based onsignals from the heat sensor to thereby cook kernels into popped sweetpopcorn. The controller also prompts for loading of the kernels into thekettle at the beginning of the popping cycle, for loading of sugar intothe kettle when the kettle falls below the sweet point temperature, andfor dumping of the popped popcorn from the kettle at the end of thepopping cycle. The popping machine therefore advantageously avoidsburning the sugar in the kettle during the popping cycle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and,together with a general description of the invention given above, andthe detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve toexplain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a popping machineconfigured to pop different types of popcorn kernels, including toproduce salt and sweet popped popcorn types, utilizing the features andmethodology in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a block schematic diagram of systems and components includedin the popping machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a user interface used with the popping machineof FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are an operation flowchart defining a main control loopoperated by the systems and components of the popping machine of FIG. 1,according to one embodiment for the operation thereof.

FIG. 5 is an operation flowchart defining a kettle heat routine includedin the main control loop of FIGS. 4A and 4B, and which is operated bythe systems and components of the popping machine of FIG. 1 to controlwhen heat energy is applied to a kettle of the popping machine.

FIG. 6 is an operation flowchart defining an alarm routine included inthe main control loop of FIGS. 4A and 4B, and which is operated by thesystems and components of the popping machine of FIG. 1 to control whenalarms are provided to operators by the popping machine.

FIG. 7 is a graphical illustration of various popping cycles to producedifferent types of popped popcorn using different types of popcornkernels in accordance with one specific embodiment of a popping machineand kettle configuration, specifically plotting kettle temperature overtime to show differences between the popping cycles and also pointswhere operator action may be prompted by the popping machine of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One embodiment of a popping machine 10 in accordance with the inventiondisclosed herein is shown at FIGS. 1 through 3, with correspondingoperational flowcharts and graphical plots shown at FIGS. 4 through 7 todescribe the operation and functionality thereof. The popping machine 10is advantageously configured for popping different types of popcornkernels, where the different types of popcorn kernels include at leastmushroom type popcorn and butterfly type popcorn. To this end, and asdescribed in further detail below, the popping machine 10 is capable ofoperating with different sets of predetermined cooking temperature setpoints associated with the different types of popcorn kernels and/ordifferent types of popped popcorn which is to be produced in a poppingcycle. As a result, the popping machine 10 can switch between differentcooking operating modes and produce different types of popcorn inconsecutive popping cycles, which may be desired in some retailcontexts. For example, the popping machine 10 could operate in a firstpopping cycle to optimally cook a salt butterfly type popcorn, and thenoperate in a second popping cycle to optimally cook a sweet mushroomtype popcorn. Furthermore, the popping machine 10 functions to provideappropriate prompts for operator action when required (such as whenkernels need loaded into a kettle 12 or when popped popcorn needs dumpedfrom the kettle 12) for different types of popcorn. Thereby making iteasy for operators to produce different popped popcorn types with thepopping machine 10 based on current customer demand, while ensuring thateach different type of popcorn kernel is cooked optimally. As describedherein, the various types of popcorn types may be butterfly, salt,butterfly sweet, mushroom salt, or mushroom sweet by way of example anwithout limitation.

Another related advantage is the automated prompting for sugar additionat the appropriate time during a popping cycle for producing sweetpopcorn, as the popping machine 10 operates as set forth below to avoidburning the popcorn or the sweetened coating during the poppingcycle(s). Thus, the popping machine 10 of this embodiment providesseveral functionalities advancing the art of popcorn popping asdescribed further below.

Returning now with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the popping machine 10according to one embodiment of the invention is shown in further detail.It will be appreciated that the popping machine 10 is operable tocook/pop popcorn and is particularly useful for cooking consecutivebatches of popcorn for sale for use by concessionaires at movietheaters, sport events, fairs and the like. Several of the components ofthe popping machine 10 are well known and/or well-established based onprior popper designs, but these elements are described briefly below forgeneral context along with new or revised elements of this designincluding a user interface 14 and a controller 16. The kettle 12 of thisembodiment of the popping machine 10 is sized to receive a 16 ounce loadof popcorn kernels for a cooking/popping cycle, but it will beappreciated that different sizes and configurations of kettles 12 arealso possible within the scope of this disclosure (such differentkettles would require different cooking temperature profiles anddifferent set points for the corresponding cooking programming,however).

As shown best in FIG. 1, the popping machine 10 includes a cabinet 18including two sidewalls 20, 22, a rear wall 24, front wall 26, and aservice platform 28 for catching popped popcorn. Front wall 26 includestwo doors 30, 32, which can be opened to gain access, both to the poppedpopcorn on the platform 28 and to access the kettle 12 positioned in aninterior space enclosed by the cabinet 18. The sidewalls 20, 22 and rearwall 24, as well as the front wall 26 including the doors 30, 32, areall made preferably of transparent glass or plastic material so that theinterior of the cabinet 18 can be viewed from the exterior. The cabinet18 may also include various operating switches and light indicatorslocated on an operating panel positioned along the front wall 26 anddefining the user interface 14 described in further detail below. Itwill be understood that the positioning and size of the doors 30, 32 andthe position of the user interface 14 may be modified in otherembodiments without departing from the scope of this invention.

The kettle 12 of the popping machine 10 in this embodiment is of anysuitable variety having heating elements 34 (not shown in FIG. 1)interconnected by a control line to a power plug mounted inside a topportion 36 of the cabinet 18. The control line is configured to alsotransfer operation signals from the controller 16 to the heatingelements 34 to control the temperature of the kettle 12 in accordancewith the operational flowcharts and methods described below. Althoughnot visible in the perspective view of FIG. 1, the popping machine 10includes a heat sensor 37 or temperature sensor which measures and/or isresponsive to the temperature of the kettle 12. This heat sensor 37 isoperatively connected to the controller 16 such that appropriate controlsignals can be forwarded by the controller 16 to the heating elements 34to heat the kettle 12 as needed during and between popping cycles. Theheat sensor 37 may be any known type of probe or sensor effective foraccurate measurement of kettle temperatures, including designs thatmount to the kettle itself and other types of sensors.

It will be appreciated that the kettle 12 is tiltable about a tilt axisdefined through a connection point of a tilt handle 38 to the kettle 12.To this end, an operator can rotate the kettle 12 between the uprightcooking position shown in FIG. 1 and a tilted dumping position (notshown) by rotating the tilt handle 38 about the tilt axis, such as whenpopped popcorn needs to be dumped from the kettle 12 at the end of apopping cycle. The kettle 12 further includes covers 40, 42 which arepivotally mounted on the kettle 12. When the popcorn is popped, it maypush these covers 40, 42 open such that the popped popcorn falls out thesides of the kettle 12 onto platform 28. Moreover, it will beappreciated that one of the covers 40 is located over a so-called “dumpsection” or side of the kettle 12. When the kettle 12 is tilted asdescribed above, this cover 40 pivots open to facilitate dumping ofpopped popcorn onto platform 28. In other embodiments not illustrated,the manually-operated tilt handle 38 may be replaced by or accompaniedby an automated dump motor and drive system connected to the kettle, asdescribed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,726,945 to Weiss, initially referencedabove.

The kettle 12 shown in this embodiment is mounted in the cabinet 18 ofthe popping machine 10 by way of a hanger bracket 44. The hanger bracket44 includes an L-shaped bracket having a foot (not shown in FIG. 1) forinterconnection to the top portion 36 of the cabinet 18. The remainderof the L-shaped hangar bracket 44 extends between one side of the kettle12 and the top portion 36 of the cabinet 18. It will be understood thatmultiple brackets or other types of coupling mechanisms may be used toposition the kettle 12 in the appropriate position within the interiorof the cabinet 18 in other embodiments without departing from the scopeof this invention.

The popping machine 10 of FIG. 1 also optionally includes an oil pumpsystem 46 (shown schematically in FIG. 2) for automatically dispensingcooking oil into the kettle 12 at the beginning of a popping cycle,and/or upon receiving a prompt by an operator at the user interface 14.The oil pump system 46 may be located in various positions within thecabinet 18, such as in the top portion 36. To this end, positionedbetween the covers 40, 42 of kettle 12 is an oil funnel 48, of whichonly the bottom portion is visible in FIG. 1, and which has a flaredmouth aligned with an outlet of the oil pump system 46 when the kettle12 is upright as shown in FIG. 1. Thus, the cooking oil is pumped by theoil pump system 46 to drain into the oil funnel 48 and kettle 12 for useduring a popping cycle. The oil pump system 46 may be one of variousdifferent known systems. For example, Gold Medal Products Co. ofCincinnati, Ohio, which is the owner/assignee of the present patentapplication, markets the Model 2114 Accumeter Bucket Pump for pumpingpopcorn oil. Another system, Model 2257 Rack Oil Delivery System, isalso available from Gold Medal Products and is discussed in U.S. Pat.No. 5,590,582 to Weiss, initially referenced above. While those oilsystems manufactured by Gold Medal Products Co. are preferable, thepresent invention might be utilized with other automated oil deliverysystems as well. Likewise, the oil pump system 46 and its associated oilheater 50 may be removed in other typical embodiments of this inventionwhere manual addition of oil is performed by an operator when popcornkernels are placed in the kettle 12 at the beginning of a popping cycle.The oil pump system 46 and the oil heater 50 may be controlled oractivated by one or more switches on the user interface 14 orautomatically by the controller 16 as set forth below.

As will be readily understood (and as described in other prior patentsof the assignee including U.S. Pat. No. 6,726,945 to Weiss, initiallyreferenced above), the kettle 12 of this embodiment also includes aninternal agitator, such as a stir blade or rotor (not shown) driven by arotor drive train 52 extending upwardly between the covers 40, 42 to akettle drive stir motor 54 (FIG. 2) that may be mounted within the topportion 36 of the cabinet 18. The rotor drive train 52 may includemultiple gears and/or drive shafts that come into operative engagementwith one another in the kettle upright position of FIG. 1 so that thestir blade or rotor can be driven within the kettle 12 to promotepopping and to help avoid uneven heating or burning of components loadedinside the kettle 12. The stir motor 54 may be operatively connected toand activated by an appropriate operating switch on the user interface14 or by the controller 16, as discussed below. Moreover, as describedin the Weiss '945 patent, the stir blade may also be weighted so that itautomatically moves out of the way of popped popcorn being dumped out ofthe kettle 12 when the kettle 12 is tilted at the end of a poppingcycle.

Additional components of the popping machine 10 are shown schematicallyin FIG. 2. To this end, the controller 16 is shown as a printed circuitboard (PCB) operatively connected to each of the various componentsdescribed above at the cabinet 18. It will be understood that thecontroller 16 may also be defined by a programmable logic controller(PLC) or another similar control device well known for use in operatingcomponents of popcorn popping machines. As set forth above, thecontroller 16 is connected to each of the heating elements 34 associatedwith the kettle 12, the heat sensor 37, the oil pump system 46 and oilheater 50, and the kettle stir drive motor 54. Consequently, thecontroller 16 functions to operate each of these components (whenpresent) in accordance with the advantageous operational flowchartsdescribed below for producing popping of different types of popcornkernels and different popped popcorn types as well.

The controller 16 is also operatively coupled to a blower motor 60 andheat element 62 associated with the service platform 28 where poppedpopcorn is dumped following a popping cycle. The blower motor 60 andheat element 62 are utilized in conjunction with each other to provideheat energy to the platform 28 to thereby maintain the popped popcorn ina crisp and fresh state prior to serving. The controller 16 may alsocommunicate with a thermostat 64 which is responsive to the temperatureat the platform 28 and/or receives control information from an operatoron what the temperature should be at the platform 28. In this regard,the controller 16 uses signals from the thermostat 64 to controloperation of the blower motor 60 and the heat element 62 as understoodin the popcorn popping machine field.

As described above, several heat generating components such as the oilpump system 46 and the kettle stir drive motor 54 may be located in thetop portion 36 of the cabinet 18. As such, to cool this area and avoidoverheating of control components, the controller 16 is operativelyconnected to exhaust fan motors 66 which control fans that draw air flowout of the cabinet 18 and/or out of the popping chamber at zones likethe top portion 36. Heated and/or humid air may thus be dischargedthrough external cabinet vents 68 as shown in FIG. 1. These externalcabinet vents 68 may be duplicated and repositioned at other areas ofthe cabinet 18 as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in theart. The controller 16 also connects with cabinet lights 70 whichilluminate the popping machine 10 in a functional and aestheticallypleasing manner. Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the poppingmachine 10 may include other components that are not shown and which arecustomary or typical in known popcorn popper designs depending on thepreferences of the end user.

Returning with reference to FIG. 2, the controller 16 is alsooperatively coupled to several additional elements used in performingthe advantageous functionalities described with respect to theoperational flowcharts detailed below. To this end, the popping machine10 includes a storage device in the form of a memory 72 in thisembodiment, the memory 72 being configured to store a plurality ofstored sets of predetermined cooking temperature set points which are tobe used to help control operation of the components with the controller16 during a popping cycle. The popping machine 10 also includes a powerswitch 74 for turning the components of the popping machine 10 on or offin their entirety, and this power switch 74 is shown operativelyconnected to the controller 16 in FIG. 2 as well as along the front wall26 adjacent to the user interface 14 in FIG. 1. To this end, thecontroller 16 may also in some embodiments control power supply to eachof the other components, depending on the position of the power switch74.

The popping machine 10 of this embodiment also includes various elementsfor sending and receiving signals to and from an operator of the poppingmachine 10. In this regard, the controller 16 is operatively coupled toaudible alarms 76 which may be activated according to the alarm routinedescribed in the operational flowcharts detailed below. The audiblealarms 76 are activated to produce one or more types of alerts which canbe used to alert an operator when actions are required at the poppingmachine 10. The user interface 14 is also operatively coupled with thecontroller 16, and the user interface 14 of this embodiment includes acombination of membrane switches 78 configured to receive input from anoperator and indicator lights 80 configured to provide visual feedbackto operators similar to the audible feedback provided with the audiblealarms 76. The indicator lights 80 are LEDs in this embodiment, but itwill be understood that other indicators may be used such as a lightedtouch screen or LCD panel, or other known display devices. Thesefeatures of the user interface 14 are described in further detail belowas well. Consequently, the controller 16 is connected to each of thecomponents of the popping machine 10 that are needed to perform apopping cycle, and the controller 16 is also connected to elementsdefining controls and feedback for interacting with operators of thepopping machine 10.

With reference to FIG. 3, the user interface 14 of the popping machine10 in this embodiment is shown in further detail. As described above,the user interface 14 and the audible alarms 76 are components whichenable communication between the controller 16 and an operator of thepopping machine 10. The user interface 14 includes a plurality of themembrane switches 78, which in this embodiment include an oil dispenseswitch 78 a for controlling the oil pump system 46 (e.g., allowing anoperator to prompt for oil to be added at the beginning of a poppingcycle), an oil “master” switch 78 b for controlling the oil heater 50(when these components are included in the popping machine), a kettleheat switch 78 c configured to control on/off operation of the heatingelements 34 when necessary, a stir motor switch 78 d configured toprovide signals for controlling the kettle drive stir motor 54, acrisper switch 78 e configured to provide signals for controlling theblower motor 60 and heat element 62 associated with the service platform28, and a mode selector switch 78 f configured to receive operator inputon what operational mode to use at the controller 16. Many of theseelements or functions are automatically controlled or activated by thecontroller 16 during normal operation of the popping machine 10, butthese membrane switches 78 provide a master control for overridingoperation or controlling operation when that is desired by an operator.Furthermore, although these switches are membrane switches 78 in theembodiment shown in FIG. 3, it will be appreciated that other types ofinput switches or devices may be used on the user interface 14 in otherembodiments consistent with the scope of this invention.

The user interface 14 of this embodiment also includes a plurality ofthe indicator lights 80, which in this embodiment include an oildispense light 80 a for showing when oil dispensing into the kettle 12occurring, an oil system master light 80 b for indicating when the oilheater 50 is active, a kettle heat light 80 c indicating when theheating elements 34 are operating, a stir light 80 d indicating when thestir motor 54 is operating, a crisper light 80 e indicating when theblower motor 60 and/or heat element 62 are activated, a plurality ofoperational mode lights 80 f showing the type of popped popcorn and/orthe popcorn kernel type to be used in the current popping cycle, and aplurality of action prompting lights 80 g indicating when an operatorshould take a specific action at the popping machine such as loading ofkernels into the kettle 12 or dumping of popped popcorn from the kettle12. The indicator lights 80 are single or multi-color light emittingdiodes in this embodiment, but it will be understood that the particulartype of illumination device and the layout of those indicator lights 80may be modified in other embodiments of this invention. The userinterface 14 and audible alarms 76 must simply be adapted to provideclear and timely feedback to the operator of the popping machine 10 asset forth in further detail below.

Having now described many of the physical components of the poppingmachine 10 of this invention, a further understanding of the inventionmay be obtained by the following discussion of the operation of thepopping machine 10 and its controller 16. A series of relatedoperational flowcharts is illustrated in FIGS. 4A through 6. Beforedescribing those flowcharts and the operation of the popping machine 10according to this embodiment, a general overview of the popping machinefunctionality will help provide context to the following detaileddescription.

To this end, FIG. 7 is a graphical plot showing sample cookingtemperature curves over time for popping cycles of different popcornkernel types and different types of popped popcorn as well, at least inthe example using the kettle 12 of FIG. 1 which is configured to receive16 ounce batches of popcorn kernels. These temperature curves (definedby temperature at the kettle 12) are configured to produce optimallypopped popcorn. Although the specific details are described for thesesample temperature curves below, a cursory review of FIG. 7 reveals theimportant aspect that the load temperatures and the dump times andtemperatures vary depending on the specific operational mode of thepopping machine 10, which is defined by the type of popcorn kernel(including butterfly or mushroom) and the type of popped popcorn(including salt or sweet). Therefore, for each different popping cyclecreating a different type of popcorn, the controller 16 must operateusing different temperature and/or time thresholds in order to optimallycook and pop the desired type of popcorn. The operational flowcharts ofFIGS. 4A through 6 describe one embodiment for how the controller 16 andpopping machine 10 manage such variations in optimal temperature curvesover time for popping cycles.

Also generally speaking with regard to the embodiment described below,the popping machine 10 is operable to monitor the temperature of thekettle 12 to automatically alert the operator to load ingredients toautomatically begin a popping cycle when the ingredients are loaded, andto end the popping cycle and automatically initiate a dump to empty thepopped popcorn and again alert the operator to load more ingredients forthe next batch. The popping machine 10 monitors the kettle temperatureand/or the time elapsed and determines at certain set points, defined bythe kettle temperature and/or the elapsed time, which operations are tobe automatically executed or prompted for action by the operator. Forsimplicity in the description of the exemplary embodiment below, theseset points are defined by temperature values at the kettle, and are alsoreferred to as “temperature set points” herein. For example, thecontroller 16 of the popping machine 10 in one embodiment operates thecomponents of the popping machine 10 by determining what type of popcornkernels are to be cooked in a popping cycle, retrieving a set ofpredetermined cooking temperature set points associated with cookingthat selected type of popcorn, heating the kettle 12 to an optimaltemperature for loading oil and kernels, alerting the operator to loadthe kernels at this temperature, optionally alerting the operator to addsugar to the kettle 12 at a certain temperature where the sugar orsweetened coating will not burn in the kettle 12, heating the kettle 12back up to a dump point temperature, and prompting for the poppedpopcorn to be dumped from the kettle 12 at this dump point temperature.Therefore, an operator is assisted with properly cooking and poppingpopcorn kernels of different types, even when a sweetened coating is tobe applied to the popcorn, while being free to handle other items duringmost of the popping cycle.

Now turning with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the primary or maincontrol loop 100 performed by the controller 16 and popping machine 10of this embodiment of the invention is shown in further detail. Aninitial power up of the popping machine 10 is shown at block 110, andthis action is caused when the operator activates the power switch 74one the cabinet 18. Before entering a repeating loop portion of the maincontrol loop 100, a series of steps is performed by the controller 16 todetermine what operational mode is active. These operational modesinclude at least an offset calibration mode for adjustingoperator-determined offsets to temperature set points, and a run modefor performing popping cycles at the popping machine 10. After theinitial power up at block 110, the controller 16 sets a first time flagat block 112 for use in determining how to heat the kettle 12 later inthe process. The controller 16 then determines at block 114 whether theoperator was pressing both of the kettle heat switch 78 c and the stirswitch 78 d on the user interface 14 when the power was initially turnedon. If so, the controller 16 activates the offset calibration mode atblock 116, and if not, the controller 16 activates the run mode at block118. Thus, unless the operator presses the specific combination ofswitches or buttons necessary to enter the offset calibration mode, thecontroller 16 will default to the run mode, which is the normaloperation of the popping machine 10. It will be understood that in otherembodiments of this process, a different combination of switches may beused to activate the offset calibration mode without departing from thescope of the invention.

After setting or activating the operational mode based on the operatorinput at the initial power up, the controller 16 retrieves from thememory 72 what the most recent popcorn temperature mode was used atblock 120, such as the one in the final popping cycle performed beforepower down. The popcorn temperature mode is defined by the type ofpopcorn kernel to be cooked as well as whether the popped popcorn is tobe salt or sweet, for example. The controller 16 also retrieves from thememory 72 or other storage device any offsets previously set by theoperator of the popping machine at block 120. These offsets may includeat least a dump offset and a sweet offset, as described in furtherdetail below. The controller 16 then begins the loop portion of the maincontrol loop at block 122, with the next step determined by whether thecontroller 16 is operating in the offset calibration mode or in the runmode.

When the run mode is active, the controller 16 continues with the stepsshown in the flowchart on FIG. 4B. To this end, the controller 16 cyclesthrough the series of steps between entry flag “B” and exit flag “A” onFIG. 4B about every 8.333 milliseconds, with the loop time beinginterrupt driven by a power line frequency and/or an internaloscillator. For each pass through this loop, the controller 16 begins bydetermining whether the popcorn temperature mode is being changed by theoperator at the user interface 14. More particularly, the controller 16determines whether popcorn temperature mode changes are currentlyallowed at block 130 (there are times when such mode changes are blockedlike during alarm activations as set forth below), and then if changesare currently allowed, the controller 16 determines whether the operatoris pressing the mode selector switch 78 f on the user interface 14 atblock 132. If the mode selector switch 78 f is active, the controller 16cycles through the different popcorn temperature modes by illuminatingthe appropriate indicator lights 80 f on the user interface 14 until thedesired mode is selected by the operator releasing the mode selectorswitch 78 f, at block 134. Following this setting of the popcorntemperature mode at block 134, or if no changes were allowed or desiredaccording to the controller actions at blocks 130 and 132, thecontroller 16 continues with the next steps of the main control loop100.

The controller 16 then retrieves from memory 72 at block 136 the set ofpredetermined temperature set points which are associated with thecurrent popcorn temperature mode that was selected or retained in theprevious steps. In this embodiment, the set of predetermined temperatureset points includes at least six set points defined byspecifically-identified temperature values: a cold point temperaturedefining a threshold for determining whether the kettle 12 was cold atan initial power up of the popping machine 10, a coast point temperaturedefining a threshold for turning off heat energy to the kettle 12 as thekettle 12 approaches the load point temperature after starting from acold kettle, a set point temperature defining a temperature that is tobe maintained at the kettle 12 such as between popping cycles, a loadpoint temperature at which a batch of kernels and cooking oil should beadded to the kettle 12 at the beginning of a popping cycle, a dump pointtemperature at which the popped popcorn should be dumped from the kettle12 at the end of a popping cycle, and a sweet point temperature definingwhen to add sugar to the kettle 12 when a sweet mode is active. Asdescribed further below, in other embodiments of this invention, thepredetermined temperature set points are instead defined byspecifically-identified time values which correspond to when thetemperatures will be reached during a normal popping cycle for actionssuch as loading and dumping relative to the kettle 12, but themethodology described below functions regardless of what type of valueis used for the set points. Each of these set points is referenced againin the further control steps below, particularly in the kettle heatroutine 200 and the alarm routine 300. Following retrieval and loadingof the set of predetermined temperature set points, the controller 16modifies the dump point temperature and the sweet point temperature byadding the dump offset and sweet offset, respectively, if those havebeen set by an operator, at block 138. Thus, the controller 16 in eachloop loads the pertinent temperature set points for performing thedesired optimal cooking for the current selection of popcorn kerneltypes.

The controller 16 continues the run mode by determining whether 100milliseconds have passed since a previous management of audible alarmsand indicator lights at block 140. This action is chosen in the currentembodiment to occur once every 12 passes through the run mode loop. Inthis regard, once every 12 loops, the controller 16 will continue toblock 142, at which point the controller 16 will activate and/ordeactivate any audible alarms 76 and indicator lights 80 as needed forthe current operation of the popping machine 10. Further information onthis step at block 142 will be evident from a review of the alarmroutine 300 described in further detail with reference to FIG. 6 below.If the controller 16 determines that 100 milliseconds have not passedsince the previous management of alarms and lights at block 140, thecontroller returns to the beginning of the run mode loop at block 122 asshown in FIG. 4B.

The controller 16 is also configured to perform a kettle heat routine200 and an alarm routine 300 once per second, which is approximatelyonce every 120 passes through the run mode loop. To this end, thecontroller determines at block 144 whether 1 second has passed since themost recent performance of the kettle heat routine 200 and the alarmroutine 300. If so, the controller 16 then performs those routines asdescribed in further detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 below, thekettle heat routine 200 being used to determine whether to turn on oroff heat energy to the kettle 12 and the alarm routine 300 being used toevaluate whether operator alarms need activated or deactivated based onan evaluation of the temperature at the kettle 12. If 1 second has notpassed since these routines were completed, the controller 16 returns tothe beginning of the run mode loop at block 122 as shown in FIG. 4B. Thecontroller 16 also returns to the beginning of the run loop mode aftercompletion of the kettle heat routine 200 and the alarm routine 300,thereby ending the process for one cycle through the run mode loop.

Returning to FIG. 4A, when the offset calibration mode is active, thecontroller 16 continues with the steps shown in that Figure. In thismode, the aforementioned dump offset and sweet offset can be changed bythe operator (original factory settings will have these offsets at 0° F.for both in each popcorn temperature mode, but this can be changed tofit operator preferences). In this regard, the controller 16 begins atblock 150 by determining whether a sweet mode is active, which meansthat the type of popped popcorn to be produced using thecurrently-selected popcorn temperature mode is one with a sweetenedcoating. If the popcorn temperature mode is not a sweet mode forproducing sweet popcorn, the controller will adjust the dump offset onlyat block 152. The operator in this embodiment can changes the offset in10 degree increments using the stir switch 78 d and the kettle heatswitch 78 c on the user interface 14, but it will be understood thatdifferent buttons can be used in other embodiments of the poppingmachine 10.

More specifically, the controller 16 continues to block 158 where it isdetermined whether the stir switch 78 d is active (e.g., pressed by theoperator). If the operator is pressing the stir switch 78 d, thecontroller 16 increases the dump offset by 10° F. at block 160 unlessthe dump offset is already at an upper limit value, typically set to 30°F. in this embodiment. The new dump offset is saved to the memory 72 forthe current popcorn temperature mode at block 162. If on the contrary,the controller 16 does not detect that the stir switch 78 d is active atblock 158, the controller 16 moves to block 164 where it is determinedwhether the kettle heat switch 78 c is active such as by being pressedby the operator. If the operator is pressing the kettle heat switch 78c, the controller 16 decreases the dump offset by 10° F. at block 160unless the dump offset is already at an lower limit value, typically setto −30° F. in this embodiment. The new dump offset is saved to thememory 72 for the current popcorn temperature mode at block 162. Afterthe new dump offset is saved to the memory 72 at block 162, includingwhen no changes are to be made based on no operator switch inputdetected at blocks 158 and 164, the controller 16 returns to thebeginning of the offset calibration mode at block 122.

Returning to block 150, if the controller 16 determines that a sweetmode is currently active, then both the dump offset and the sweet offsetcan be adjusted. To enable this, the controller 16 first checks forwhether the operator is pressing the mode selector switch 78 f at theuser interface 14 at block 154. If the mode selector switch 78 f isactive, then the controller 16 will toggle between the dump offset andthe sweet offset (indicating as such to the operator using one or moreof the indicator lights 80) until the mode selector switch 78 f is notpressed any longer. On the contrary, if the mode selector switch 78 fwas not active at block 154, whichever of the dump offset and sweetoffset which was previously being modified will continue to be what isadjusted in the current loop. The loop then continues with the stepsdescribed above at blocks 158 through 166 to evaluate whether theoperator is pressing one of the switches to increase or decrease theoffset being adjusted, and then saving the new offset to memory 72before returning to the beginning of the offset calibration mode loop atblock 122. These blocks 158 through 166 operate in the same manner asabove regardless of whether the sweet offset or the dump offset is beingadjusted, so a duplicative description is not provided here for the sakeof brevity.

It will be understood that during the loops through the offsetcalibration mode shown in FIG. 4A, the various indicator lights 80 maybe used to display what changes are being made to what offsets by theoperator, so that it can be verified that the desired changes are made.When the operator desires to leave the offset calibration mode, whichrepeats continuously if the appropriate switches were activated at block114 following initial power up of the popping machine 10, the powerswitch 74 must be turned off and back on to allow the popping machine 10and controller 16 to go into the run mode (which will then use anyupdated offsets as stored in the memory 72 during the operation of theoffset calibration mode. Thus, an operator has some limited control overhow the predetermined temperature set points are configured in thedifferent popcorn temperature modes and popping cycles, in accordancewith this embodiment of the invention.

As described above, when the controller 16 is operating in the run mode,the kettle heat routine 200 is performed once every second to determinewhether to turn on or off heat energy applied to the kettle 12. Thisroutine 200 is wholly independent and separate from the alarm routine300 described in further detail below. With reference to FIG. 5, thekettle heat routine 200 includes a series of operational steps between astart point and end point shown in that Figure. To this end, thecontroller 16 begins the kettle heat routine 200 by determining if thefirst time flag was set at block 210. As a reminder, the first time flagis set at block 112 during the initial power up of the popping machine10. If the first time flag is not set at block 210, the standard controlperformed during most of the operation of the popping machine 10 is usedas follows. The controller 16 continues in such case to block 212, wherethe controller 16 determines whether the temperature of the kettle 12,as measured by the heat sensor 37, is above the set point temperatureloaded from memory 72 for the current popcorn temperature mode. If thetemperature of the kettle 12 is not above the set point temperature, thecontroller 16 sends a signal at block 214 to turn on the heatingelements 34 associated with the kettle 12. If the temperature of thekettle 12 is above the set point temperature, the controller 16 insteadsends a signal at block 216 to turn off the heating elements 34associated with the kettle 12. Following the sending of a signal atblocks 214 or 216, the current pass through the kettle heat routine 200ends. It will be understood that a small hysteresis value such as 4° F.may be built into the determination at block 212 to avoid having theheating elements switched on and off too rapidly.

If, on the other hand, the first time flag was determined to be set atblock 210, the controller 16 moves through a different set of steps ofthe kettle heat routine 200 which are configured to properly handle coldstarts of the kettle 12. To this end, the controller 16 evaluates atblock 220 whether the temperature at the kettle 12 is above the coldpoint temperature loaded from memory 72 for the current popcorntemperature mode. If the temperature of the kettle 12 is not above thecold point temperature, indicating an initial start of the poppingmachine 10 from a cold state, the controller 16 sets a cold start flagto active at block 222 before continuing on to block 226 describedbelow. If, on the other hand, the temperature of the kettle 12 is abovethe cold point temperature at block 220, the controller 16 proceeds witha determination of whether the cold start flag was set to be active atblock 224. If the cold start flag was set, then controller 16 proceedswith block 226 just like when the cold start flag is initially set asdescribed above. However, if the cold start flag is not set at block224, which would indicate an initial power up from a hot state of thekettle 12, then controller 16 moves to the so-called standard control atsteps 212 through 216 using the set point temperature for controllingthe heating elements 34 at the kettle 12.

Now returning to block 226, which occurs whenever the first time flagand the cold start flag are set to be active during the current runthrough the kettle heat routine 200, the controller 16 operates a seriesof steps defining a first time power-up control of the heating of thekettle (rather than the standard control). The controller 16 begins thisfirst time power-up control by determining at block 226 usingmeasurements from the heat sensor 37 whether the kettle 12 is above thecoast point temperature loaded from memory 72 for the current popcorntemperature mode. If the temperature of the kettle 12 is not above thecoast point temperature, which means the kettle 12 is still heating upfrom the cold start, the controller 16 sends a signal at block 228 toturn on the heating elements 34 associated with the kettle 12, and thecurrent pass through the kettle heat routine 200 then ends. If thetemperature of the kettle 12 is above the coast point temperature atblock 226, the controller 16 sends a signal at block 230 to turn off theheating elements 34 associated with the kettle 12. This allows thekettle 12 to coast upward towards the load point temperature rather thanovershooting that temperature by a significant amount during the initialwarming from a cold state. The controller 16 then determines at block232 whether the temperature of the kettle 12 is above the load pointtemperature loaded from memory 72 for the current popcorn temperaturemode. If the temperature of the kettle 12 is not above the load pointtemperature yet, which indicates the kettle 12 is still coasting upwardin temperature towards this set point, the current pass through thekettle heat routine 200 then ends. However, if the temperature of thekettle 12 is above the load point temperature at block 232, which meansthe kettle 12 has been heated to the sufficient level to begin thepopping cycle, the controller 16 proceeds to clear the first time flagand the cold start flag at block 234 before the current pass through thekettle heat routine 200 ends. As a result of clearing the flags, thenext time through the kettle heat routine 200 will operate using theso-called standard control based on the set point temperature ratherthan continuing with the first-time power up control series of stepsbecause the kettle 12 will not be needing heated from a cold start atthat point.

To summarize, the kettle heat routine 200 accurately assesses once persecond during the run mode loop whether heating is needed at the kettle12, and the heating elements 34 are turned on or off according to thesteps described above, thereby accurately managing operation of theheating elements 34 for all popping cycles.

As described above, when the controller 16 is operating in the run mode,the alarm routine 300 is also performed once every second to determinewhether to turn on or off any alarms for the operator. This routine 300is wholly independent and separate from the kettle heat routine 200described in further detail above. With reference to FIG. 6, the alarmroutine 300 includes a series of operational steps between a start pointand end point shown in that Figure. To this end, the controller 16begins the alarm routine 300 by determining at block 310 whether thepopping machine 10 is in a load alarm mode or a dump alarm mode. Theload alarm mode is the default at the initial power up, but the alarmroutine 300 includes having the controller 16 switch between these twoalternative modes when appropriate, as detailed below. The load alarmmode is active when the controller 16 is getting ready to prompt anoperator or an automated system for loading of kernels and cooking oilinto the kettle 12, while the dump alarm mode is active when thecontroller 16 is waiting to prompt an operator or automated system todump popped popcorn from the kettle 12. Consequently, the descriptionbelow of the alarm routine begins with the steps associated with theload alarm mode.

When the load alarm mode is active at block 310, the controller 16 firstdetermines whether a dump block timer is running at block 312. This dumpblock timer is not running initially and will be explained in furtherdetail below. As such, when the dump block timer is not running, thecontroller 16 then determines at block 314 whether the temperature atthe kettle 12, as measured by the heat sensor 37, exceeds the load pointtemperature that is loaded from memory 72 for the current popcorntemperature mode. If the temperature at the kettle 12 is above the loadpoint temperature, indicating that the kettle 12 is ready to receive abatch of popcorn kernels and cooking oil, the controller 16 turns on aload alarm at block 316. The load alarm at block 316 includes one orboth of the audible alarms 76 and the indicator lights 80 to signal theoperator to take the appropriate action, e.g., load kernels into thekettle 12 (and oil, when the oil pump system 46 is not provided or whenan operator prompt is required at the user interface 14 to activate theoil pump system 46). It will be understood that the controller 16 mayalternatively send a signal to the oil pump system 46 at this time toload cooking oil into the kettle 12, in non-illustrated embodiments witha fully automated oil pump system 46. After activating the load alarm(or when the temperature of the kettle 12 has not yet exceeded the loadpoint temperature at block 314), the controller 16 moves to the end ofthe current pass through the alarm routine 300. To this end, thecontroller 16 technically checks at block 318 whether the temperature ofthe kettle 12 has fallen 15° F. below the load point temperature, butthis will not occur until after the operator loads the kernels into thekettle 12, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art ofpopcorn poppers.

The controller 16 effectively waits while the load alarm is on for theoperator to load the kernels, such that the temperature at the kettle 12drops to the extent required at block 318, by repeating these sequenceof steps along the top of the operational flowchart in FIG. 6. Once thecontroller 16 determines that the temperature of the kettle 12 hasfallen 15° F. below the load point temperature at block 318 (effectivelychecking once per second based on how often the alarm routine 300 isoperated as set forth above), the alarm routine 300 continues by havingthe controller 16 determine if the load alarm is turned on at block 320.If the load alarm is on, the controller 16 at block 322 turns off theload alarm because the operator has complied with the prompt to startthe popping cycle with loading a batch of popcorn kernels into thekettle 12. Also at block 322, the controller 16 blocks any changes tothe popcorn temperature mode at the user interface 14 and loads/startsthe dump block timer initially referenced above before ending thecurrent pass through the alarm routine 300.

The dump block timer is a predetermined-duration timer which keeps thecontroller 16 in the load alarm mode to allow for cooking of the popcornkernels for a sufficient minimum period of time before starting to checkfor whether to sound the dump alarm in the dump alarm mode and stepsoutlined below. In many embodiments where the dump point temperature islower than the load point temperature, this prevents the popping machine10 from sending a premature signal to dump the popcorn immediately afterturning the load alarm off (which would be the case if this dump blocktimer were not used). In the current embodiment, the dump block timer isa 90 second timer, but this value may be modified in other embodiments(and also could be potentially set to different values for differentpopcorn temperature modes as well). Moreover, the dump block timerstarts at 90 seconds in this embodiment and is decremented until it runsout or times out at zero. It is necessary to block the operator frommaking changes to the popcorn temperature mode once the kettle 12 hasbeen loaded with kernels to ensure that the popcorn kernels are poppedwith consistent temperature settings throughout the entirety of thepopping cycle from initial loading to terminal dumping. This prohibitionon popcorn temperature mode changes remains in effect until removed by alater cycle of the alarm routine 300.

While the dump block timer is running, the controller 16 remains in theload alarm portion of the alarm routine 300 during the repetition ofthis routine every 1 second. During this time, the controller 16 atblock 312 moves through the lower branch to block 320 shown in FIG. 6 asa result of the dump block timer now running. Because the load alarmwill also be turned off at this time, the controller 16 will move fromblock 320 to then determine whether the dump block timer has timed outat block 324. If the dump block timer has timed out (which should notoccur during the normal sequence of operations described herein afterthe popping cycle has begun because the dump alarm mode is setimmediately upon this happening as set forth in the following steps ofthe load alarm mode), the current run through the alarm routine 300ends. For reference, the only time in which the controller 16 wouldnormally determine that the dump block timer has timed out at block 324would be before the kettle 12 reaches the load point temperature duringinitial heating up of the kettle 12, as the load alarm mode is thedefault upon initial power up of the popping machine 10, and thecontroller 16 would move through the NO branch of block 312, the NObranch of block 314, the YES branch of block 318, and the NO branch ofblock 320 during this initial heat up. In this regard, the inquiry atblock 324 has the principal purpose of keeping the controller 16 in thedefault load alarm mode before a popping cycle begins.

Returning back to the normal course of events during the popping cycle,when the controller 16 determines at block 324 that the dump block timerhas not yet timed out, the controller 16 then decrements the dump blocktimer by 1 second (because the alarm routine 300 operates once persecond) at block 326. The controller 16 then determines at block 330whether the dump block timer has timed out as a result of the decrementdone at block 326. If the dump block timer has not run out, meaning thatthe kettle 12 is still in the middle of cooking the popcorn, thecontroller 16 proceeds through a series of steps to check if a sweetalarm should be managed relative to notifying the operator when sugar ora sweetened coating should be added to the kettle 12 during the poppingcycle (for sweet popcorn modes). Those steps are described as follows.

First, the controller 16 determines whether the sweet alarm timer iszero, which is the initial value of this timer, at block 332. If thesweet alarm timer is zero, then the controller 16 determines whether thetemperature of the kettle 12 has fallen below a sweet point temperaturewhich is loaded from memory 72 and associated with the current popcorntemperature mode. For popcorn temperature modes configured to producesweet popcorn, this sweet point temperature is set to a value at whichthe operator should add sugar to enable the sweetened coating to beapplied without burning the sugar during the popping cycle. For popcorntemperature modes configured to produce salt popcorn or other non-sweettypes, this sweet point temperature is generally set to a value wellbelow what the kettle 12 will ever reach in the popping cycle so thatthe prompt described below is never actuated (e.g., there is no promptto add sugar when that is not desired). If the temperature of the kettle12 is not below the sweet point temperature at block 338, the currentrun through the alarm routine 300 ends because the kettle 12 is notready for the addition of the sugar yet. If the temperature of thekettle 12 is below the sweet point temperature at block 338, thecontroller 16 at block 340 turns on a sweet alarm and starts the sweetalarm timer before ending the current run through the alarm routine 300.

As noted above, the sweet alarm timer runs upwardly from an initialvalue of zero, and in this embodiment, the sweet alarm is configured tolast for 10 seconds (e.g., some predetermined time lapse desired). Tothis end, the sweet alarm includes some combination of illuminatingindicator lights 80 on the user interface 14 and/or audible alarms 76 toalert the operator that it is time to add sugar to the kettle 12. Forexample, the sweet alarm in one embodiment includes 10 seconds ofilluminated LEDs at the user interface 14 and five beeps of a beeperdefining the audible alarms 76.

Returning to block 332, when the controller 16 returns to this block anddetermines that the sweet alarm timer is not zero (as a result of atleast one second passing since the pass through the alarm routine 300that started the sweet alarm timer at block 340), the controller 16 thendetermines at block 334 whether the sweet alarm timer has reached 10seconds. If the sweet alarm timer is not at 10 seconds, no action isrequired and the current pass through the alarm routine 300 ends.However, if the sweet alarm timer is at 10 seconds, the controller 16turns off the sweet alarm at block 336 before the current pass throughthe alarm routine 300 ends. It will be understood that while the sweetalarm is set to run for 10 seconds in this embodiment, the threshold oftime for which to turn off the sweet alarm could be adjusted in otherembodiments depending on operator preferences.

As long as the dump block timer continues to run after the sweet alarmoccurs, no further action will take place in the alarm routine 300because the controller 16 will move through the NO branch of block 320,followed by the NO branch of blocks 332 and 334 (the sweet alarm timerwill be more than 10 seconds at this juncture). Returning to block 330,when the decrementing of the dump block timer each second results in thedump block timer timing out or reaching zero, the controller 16 thenswitches to the dump alarm mode at block 342. In addition, the sweetalarm is turned off at block 342 if it is still active (which may occur,for example, if it takes 80+ seconds before the kettle falls below thesweet point temperature), and the sweet alarm timer is cleared bysetting it back to zero. This pass through the alarm routine 300 thenends and the next time the alarm routine 300 occurs the controller 16will move through the dump alarm mode steps instead of the load alarmsteps described above.

When the alarm routine 300 is operated in the dump alarm mode, thecontroller 16 begins by determining if a dump timer (not to be confusedwith the dump block timer described above) is running at block 350. Ifthe dump timer is not running, which will be the default when enteringthe dump alarm mode from the load alarm mode, the controller 16 thenchecks at block 354 whether the temperature of the kettle 12, asmeasured by the heat sensor 37, is above the dump point temperature thatis loaded from memory 72 and associated with the current popcorntemperature mode. If the temperature of the kettle 12 has not yetexceeded the dump point temperature, which indicates that the poppingcycle is not yet completed, the current run through the alarm routine300 is finished without further action. By contrast, if the temperatureof the kettle 12 is above the dump point temperature, the controller 16turns on a dump alarm at block 356 which includes at least one ofilluminating the indicator lights 80 at the user interface 14 and/orsounding the audible alarms 76 to prompt the operator to tilt the kettle12 and dump the finished popped popcorn onto the service platform 28.Also at block 356, the controller loads the dump timer with 10 seconds(although like the sweet timer and the dump block timer, this is just anexemplary value that is not limiting on all potential embodiments of theoperation of popping machine 10). After block 356, the current runthrough the alarm routine 300 stops.

Just like the sweet alarm, the dump alarm is configured to run for atotal of 10 seconds. The result could be a similar 10 secondillumination of indicator lights 80 and five beeps from a buzzer actingas the audible alarms 76. Therefore, in the following passes through thedump alarm mode of the alarm routine 300, the controller 16 goes throughthe YES branch at block 350 because the dump timer is running. Thecontroller 16 at block 352 then decrements the dump timer by one secondbecause the alarm routine 300 is run once per second as set forthmultiple times above. Also at block 352, when the decrementing of thedump timer results in the dump timer reaching zero, e.g., 10 secondsafter the dump alarm is activated, then the controller 16 also changesback to the load alarm mode, turns off the dump alarm, and removes theblock to changes of the popcorn temperature mode at the user interface14. It is assumed that the dump action has been performed or is beingperformed by the operator, so the next step would be loading a new batchand that's why the load alarm mode is activated again at this juncture.Furthermore, now that the popping cycle is completed and the poppingmachine 10 is between cycles, it is acceptable for the popcorntemperature mode to be changed again, if the operator needs to make anew type of popcorn in the next popping cycle. The current pass throughthe alarm routine 300 is also ended after the actions of block 352 arefinished. As such, when the dump timer runs out, the next pass throughthe alarm routine 300 will again go through the steps of the load alarmmode as set forth in detail above.

To summarize, the alarm routine 300 accurately assesses once per secondduring the run mode loop whether any alarms (load, sweet, dump) need tobe activated or deactivated, thereby accurately managing the audiblealarms 76 and indicator lights 80 to produce necessary operator promptsfor action during all popping cycles.

Consequently, by operating the controller 16 to follow the operationalflowcharts set forth in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A through 6, thepopping machine 10 is advantageously capable of providing appropriatetime prompts for operator action regardless of the popcorn kernel typeand popped popcorn type to be produced.

As set forth above, the set of predetermined cooking temperature setpoints which are stored for each combination of popcorn kernel type andkettle configuration are defined by actual temperature values in theexample provided above. These temperature values and thresholds arebased on environmental and kettle configuration conditions such as wherethe temperature sensor is located relative to the kernels and/or theheating elements. In other embodiments, one or more of thesepredetermined cooking temperature set points can be defined by theassociated elapsed time values measured from a beginning of a poppingcycle, which are inherently associated with certain desired temperaturesfor taking the actions required as described with respect to FIG. 7below. A time sensor or clock element would communicate with thecontroller 16 in such embodiments. Regardless of what type of value andsensor(s) are used by the controller 16 in performing the methods ofthis disclosure, an operator is provided with the appropriate promptsfor taking action to produce desirable or optimal popped popcorn of anydesired type (both currently existing and/or newly-developed strains)which may be programmed into the controller 16 with a series of setpoints.

Returning to FIG. 7, which shows one set of exemplary or sampletemperature curves over time for popping cycles of different popcornkernel types and different types of popped popcorn as well, four sampletemperature curves are shown which can define four different popcorntemperature modes and corresponding sets of predetermined temperatureset points in the memory 72 of the popping machine 10 for use with akettle 12 configured to receive a 16 ounce load of popcorn kernels to bepopped. These examples are based on testing for what typically producesoptimally popped popcorn of the following types in that specific kettle12 and setting: butterfly type salt popcorn, butterfly type sweetpopcorn, mushroom type salt popcorn, and mushroom type sweet popcorn.Additional temperature curves could be generated for other types ofpopcorn and/or other configurations and sizes of kettles and used inthis invention by simply storing an appropriate set of predeterminedtemperature set points for that popcorn type and/or kettle configurationand loading it when such a popping cycle is desired by an operator. Itwill be understood that the example below simply illustrates an optimalset of popping cycles when using the popping machine 10 equipmentdescribed above and developed by the assignee of the currentapplication, but further temperature curves and popping cycles based onother configurations can be developed for different machines andsettings and can be programmed into the popping machine 10 as well.

With additional focus on FIG. 7, several important temperatures arepointed out where action typically needs to be taken by the poppingmachine 10 and/or the operator. One of these is the kernel loadtemperature (the “load point temperature”) at the beginning of eachpopping cycle, with sample values of this load point temperature being480° F. for mushroom salt and mushroom sweet; 405° F. for butterflysalt; and 400° F. for butterfly sweet. The next identification is thesugar load point for the two sweet modes (the “sweet pointtemperature”), which in these exemplary plots occurs at 340° F. at about1:15 following the load of kernels for mushroom sweet; and at 290° F. atabout 1:00 following the load of kernels for butterfly sweet. After aperiod of about 1:30 to 2:00 has passed, it is shown that the kettle 12begins to heat back up again to approach the dump points which are shownat the terminal ends of the graphical plots of the temperature curves.In these exemplary plots, the dump point temperature and time are asfollows: 362° F. and 2:56 for mushroom salt; 363° F. and 3:50 formushroom sweet; 400° F. and 4:26 for butterfly salt; and 383° F. and5:23 for butterfly sweet. The differences in time and temperature forthese operator/machine events are based on butterfly type popcornneeding to cook for longer than mushroom type popcorn and based on sweetpopcorn taking longer to cook as a result of additional cooling when thesugar is initially added. Of course, these set points defined bytemperatures are just one example developed by the assignee of thisapplication for use with the equipment described herein, and time valuesmay be used for set points in other embodiments. It will also readily beunderstood why it is nearly impossible with so many different variationson types of popcorn to produce for an operator to optimally manage eachdifferent type of popping cycle, hence making the popping machine 10 andmethods described herein advantageous in this field. These exemplarytemperature curves are what define the predetermined temperature setpoints, so it will be appreciated that modifications in these optimalplots will also result in variations in the set points used during theoperational flowcharts described herein.

In addition to accurately managing the popping and cooking of differenttypes of popcorn kernels (with or without sweetened coatings), thepopping machine 10 also advantageously provides prompts to an operatorfor adding sugar at the appropriate time to avoid burning of a sweetenedcoating in the popcorn popping cycle. Thus, for operators needing sweetpopcorn on a regular basis for consumers, the operators will be able toproperly manage optimal cooking of such sweet popcorn thanks to theadditional functionality and features of this invention. In this regard,high-quality popcorn will be produced consistently when using thepopping machine 10 and methods described herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A popping machine configured to pop differenttypes of popcorn kernels in different popping cycles, the poppingmachine comprising: a kettle associated with heating elements andconfigured to receive popcorn kernels for a popping cycle; a heat sensorresponsive to a temperature of the kettle; a storage device which storesa plurality of stored sets of predetermined cooking temperature setpoints, which are associated with cooking different types of popcornkernels in the kettle to produce different types of popped popcorntypes; a user interface which receives from an operator a selection of acurrent operating mode for the popping cycle, the current operating modedefined by a selected one of the different types of popcorn kernels anda desired popped popcorn type; and a controller operatively connected toeach of the heating elements, the heat sensor, the storage device, andthe user interface, wherein the controller is programmed to operate thepopping machine in the popping cycle by: retrieving from the storagedevice a first set of predetermined cooking temperature set pointsassociated with the current operating mode selected for the poppingcycle, which includes a load point temperature and a dump pointtemperature; actuating heating of the kettle with the heating elementsbased on signals from the heat sensor indicating when the kettle reachesthe load point temperature and the dump point temperature, to therebycook kernels into popped popcorn; and prompting for loading of thekernels into the kettle at a beginning of the popping cycle and fordumping of the popped popcorn from the kettle at an end of the poppingcycle.
 2. The popping machine of claim 1, wherein the popping machinefurther comprises: at least one switch at the user interface which isconfigured to receive selections from the operator; at least oneindicator light which is configured to be illuminated by the controllerto identify the current operating mode and to alert the operator whenloading or dumping action is required; and at least one audible alarmwhich is configured to be actuated by the controller to alert theoperator when loading or dumping action is required.
 3. The poppingmachine of claim 2, wherein the user interface comprises at least oneswitch and/or at least one indicator light for each of the following: amode selector for identifying the current operating mode; an automatedoil heating and dispensing system associated with the kettle; theheating elements associated with the kettle; a stir drive associatedwith the kettle; and a heat element at a service platform for receivingthe popped popcorn which is dumped from the kettle.
 4. The poppingmachine of claim 1, wherein the step of prompting for loading of thekernels into the kettle at a beginning of the popping cycle and fordumping of the popped popcorn from the kettle at an end of the poppingcycle, which is performed by the controller, further comprises:prompting for loading of the kernels into the kettle when the kettlereaches the load point temperature, as measured by the heat sensor; andprompting for dumping of the popped popcorn from the kettle when thekettle reaches the dump point temperature, as measured by the heatsensor.
 5. The popping machine of claim 1, wherein when the currentoperating mode selected by the operator is a sweet mode such that thedesired popped popcorn type is to include a sweetened coating, the firstset of predetermined cooking temperature set points retrieved from thestorage device includes a sweet point temperature, and the controller isfurther programmed to operate the popping machine in the popping cycleby: detecting when the kettle falls below the sweet point temperatureafter the kernels are loaded into the kettle at the load pointtemperature; and alerting the operator to load sugar into the kettlewhen the kettle falls below the sweet point temperature, so as toproduce the sweetened coating for the desired popped popcorn type and soas to avoid burning the sugar in the kettle during the popping cycle. 6.The popping machine of claim 1, wherein the different types of popcornkernels include at least one of a mushroom type popcorn and a butterflytype popcorn.
 7. The popping machine of claim 1, wherein the step ofretrieving from the storage device a first set of predetermined cookingtemperature set points associated with the current operating modeselected for the popping cycle, which is performed by the controller,further comprises: retrieving a cold point temperature for a first batchof kernels, the cold point temperature defining a threshold fordetermining whether the kettle was cold at an initial power up of thepopping machine; retrieving a coast point temperature for the firstbatch of kernels, the coast point temperature defining a threshold forturning off heat energy to the kettle as the kettle approaches the loadpoint temperature after starting from a cold kettle; retrieving a setpoint temperature for the first batch of kernels, the set pointtemperature defining a temperature that is to be maintained at thekettle; retrieving the load point temperature for the first batch ofkernels, the load point temperature defining when to add the first batchof kernels to the kettle; retrieving the dump point temperature for thefirst batch of kernels, the dump point temperature defining when to dumppopped popcorn from the kettle; and retrieving a sweet point temperaturefor the first batch of kernels, the sweet point temperature definingwhen to add sugar to the kettle when a sweet mode is active.
 8. Thepopping machine of claim 7, wherein the controller is further programmedto operate the popping machine in the popping cycle with the followingsteps: determining, based upon a selection made by the operator at theuser interface during an initial power up of the popping machine,whether an offset calibration mode is activated; detecting a currentoperating mode of the popping machine based on the selected one of thedifferent types of popcorn kernels; and when the offset calibration modeis activated: adjusting a dump offset added to the dump pointtemperature for the current operating mode based on input from theoperator at the user interface; and adjusting a sweet offset added tothe sweet point temperature for the current operating mode based oninput from the operator at the user interface, wherein the dump offsetand the sweet offset, respectively, enable operator adjustments to thedump point temperature and the sweet point temperature of the currentoperating mode based on operator preferences.
 9. The popping machine ofclaim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to operate thepopping machine in the popping cycle with the following steps:performing an alarm routine to determine whether any alarms for theoperator should be activated or deactivated at about every 1 secondfollowing an initial power up of the popping machine.
 10. The poppingmachine of claim 9, wherein performing the alarm routine furthercomprises: determining whether the popping machine is in a load alarmmode or a dump alarm mode; when the popping machine is in the load alarmmode, activating a load alarm to alert the operator to load a firstbatch of kernels into the kettle if the kettle is above the load pointtemperature, and then deactivating the load alarm when the kettle falls15° F. below the load point temperature; and when the popping machine isin the dump alarm mode, activating a dump alarm to alert the operator todump popped popcorn from the kettle if the kettle is above the dumppoint temperature, and then deactivating the dump alarm after 10 secondshave passed following activation of the dump alarm, wherein each of theload alarm and the dump alarm includes at least one of an audible alarmand illumination of an indicator light on the user interface.
 11. Thepopping machine of claim 10, wherein when the popping machine is in theload alarm mode, performing the alarm routine further comprises:starting a dump block timer when the load alarm is deactivated, the dumpblock timer defining a period of time in which the alarm routine remainsin the load alarm mode before returning to the dump alarm mode, therebyallowing time for cooking the first batch of kernels in the kettle. 12.The popping machine of claim 11, wherein the first set of predeterminedcooking temperature set points also includes a sweet point temperature,and wherein when the dump block timer is running in the load alarm mode,performing the alarm routine further comprises: determining whether thekettle is below the sweet point temperature; activating a sweet alarm toalert the operator to add sugar to the kettle when the kettle fallsbelow the sweet point temperature; and deactivating the sweet alarmafter 10 seconds have passed following activation of the sweet alarm.13. A popping machine configured to pop sweet popcorn in a poppingcycle, the popping machine comprising: a kettle associated with heatingelements and configured to receive popcorn kernels and sugar during thepopping cycle; a heat sensor responsive to a temperature of the kettle;a storage device which stores a set of predetermined cooking temperatureset points associated with cooking the sweet popcorn; a user interfacewhich provides signals to an operator when actions are required at thepopping machine; and a controller operatively connected to each of theheating elements, the heat sensor, the storage device, and the userinterface, wherein the controller is programmed to operate the poppingmachine in the popping cycle by: retrieving from the storage device theset of predetermined cooking temperature set points associated withcooking the sweet popcorn, which includes at least a load pointtemperature, a sweet point temperature, and a dump point temperature;actuating heating of the kettle with the heating elements based onsignals from the heat sensor, to thereby cook kernels and sugar intopopped sweet popcorn; alerting the operator to load the kernels into thekettle when the kettle reaches the load point temperature at a beginningof the popping cycle, and to load the sugar into the kettle when thekettle subsequently falls below the sweet point temperature, so as toavoid burning the sugar in the kettle during the popping cycle; andprompting for dumping of the popped sweet popcorn from the kettle whenthe kettle reaches the dump point temperature at an end of the poppingcycle.
 14. The popping machine of claim 13, wherein the step of alertingthe operator, which is performed by the controller, further comprises:providing at least one of an audible alarm and an illumination of anindicator light to identify the loading or dumping action required bythe operator.
 15. The popping machine of claim 13, wherein thecontroller is further programmed to operate the popping machine in thepopping cycle with the following steps: performing an alarm routine todetermine whether a sweet alarm for the operator should be activated ordeactivated, wherein the alarm routine comprises: detecting that thekettle has fallen below the load point temperature by a predeterminedtemperature threshold, indicating that a batch of popcorn kernels hasbeen loaded into the kettle and is reducing the temperature of thekettle accordingly; after detecting that the kettle has fallen below theload point temperature by the predetermined temperature threshold,determining whether the kettle has fallen below the sweet pointtemperature; activating a sweet alarm when the kettle falls below thesweet point temperature to complete the alerting of the operator in step(e); and deactivating the sweet alarm after a predetermined time lapsehas passed following activation of the sweet alarm.
 16. The poppingmachine of claim 15, wherein the predetermined temperature threshold is15° F. below the load point temperature, and wherein the predeterminedtime lapse is 10 seconds.
 17. The popping machine of claim 13, whereinthe controller is further programmed to operate the popping machine inthe popping cycle with the following steps: determining, based upon aselection made by the operator at a user interface during an initialpower up of the popping machine, whether an offset calibration mode isactivated; and when the offset calibration mode is activated, adjustinga sweet offset added to the sweet point temperature based on operatorinput at the user interface, wherein the sweet offset enables operatoradjustments to the sweet point temperature based on operatorpreferences.